A Site for Shore Eyes

Just a few days ago, the trees in the area put on an impressive display of autumn colors, splashing the landscape with the vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges of the season. Then it rained, and we usually think of that as something good when talking about trees. It all depends on one’s point of view, I suppose. Well, the leaves departed their lofty perches as quickly as they took residence in the spring, seeking the safety of solid ground. It seemed almost as if they were awaiting the results of the election before packing it in for the season.

Nature, as most call it, has a way of figuring everything out. While most forms of life bundle up for cold weather, deciduous trees adapt to the cold by shedding their leaves. Before the onset of really severe weather, wind and rain arrive to help the woody plants with their mission. Some people attribute this to happenstance that began in a pool of primordial soup, and if that’s what you choose to believe, it’s fine with me. I’ll just stick with my own ideas about things.

Some accuse me of living in the past. I don’t, but like all of us, I lived in the past, and often wonder where we went wrong on so many things, which isn’t quite the same as saying that we’ve done nothing right. I just wonder why so many people suddenly decided so many things offended them?

We’ve been walking around on eggshells since shortly after Tiny Tim tiptoed through the tulips. Some of us break a few from time-to-time, when we abuse our right to free speech. Abusing that right means that we’ve said something that someone considered offensive, whether or not that was the intent, or even the case. Instead of calling a spade a spade, we consider it diamond-, heart-, and club-suit-challenged. We’ve taken to calling those who can’t see, “visually-impaired,” or “visually-challenged,” and most of those in that category know very well that they’re blind, but have far more vision than many of us who claim the ability to see. Observing doesn’t always equal seeing, and those who can’t grasp that concept probably lack some vision themselves.

Which brings us to the holidays. Maybe it’s an abomination to now call it Christmas, because the most important aspect of the season seems to be a race to see who can rake in the most money. In maintaining that business acumen, many retailers have dropped the word, “Christmas,” from their banter, and replaced it with “The Holidays,” or “The Season,” lest they offend someone not of the Christian faith from handing over some cash or credit for a product they’re hawking.

I say they need to get over it and just go with the flow. America always called it “Christmas,” mainly because that’s what it is. The Jewish people celebrated Hanukkah, with considerably less fanfare and commercialization, and many recognized the season as a time of good will and giving, without compromising their religious beliefs. Other religions have become more prevalent in American society, as more and more people from more diverse cultures have chosen this country as their home. But none of that should result in changing an American tradition so that it conforms more to the liking of others. That, of course, is my opinion, and anyone who disagrees with that simply has a different opinion.

I get Christmas cards from Jewish friends, and remember others of the Jewish faith, such as Neil Diamond, making Christmas albums. I never thought, nor did they mean to convey, that they necessarily believed in the Christian doctrine themselves, but they believed in it for those of us who considered ourselves Christians. Or maybe they simply believed in Santa Claus, and that’s probably not a bad thing.